I am originally from Argentina, and a former NICU parent dedicated to improving outcomes for mothers, babies, and families.
My introduction to neonatal intensive care was not as a professional—it was as a parent.
Like many NICU families, I entered a world I knew nothing about. The uncertainty, fear, and complexity of caring for a critically ill newborn transformed the way I understood healthcare. I experienced firsthand the impact that communication, compassion, and family inclusion can have on both outcomes and healing.
What began as a personal journey eventually became a mission. I realized that families possess valuable knowledge, perspectives, and expertise that are often overlooked within healthcare systems. I became determined to ensure that future families would have a voice in shaping the care they receive.
That commitment became the foundation for everything that followed.
In 2008, I returned to the NICU where my family received care and founded the Parent Advisory Council at Baptist Children's Hospital in Miami.
What started as a volunteer effort grew into a program involving more than 200 families and helped transform family engagement within the NICU. Working alongside clinicians and hospital leaders, I helped develop support programs, improve family education, and integrate family perspectives into quality improvement initiatives.
These early experiences taught me that lasting change happens when healthcare professionals and families work together as partners.
The experiences that would shape my future were not found in a classroom or professional setting. They came through motherhood, navigating healthcare systems, and witnessing firsthand the challenges families face during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.
Those experiences sparked a lifelong commitment to improving healthcare not only for my own family, but for countless others who would follow similar journeys.
